On September 1, 1923 a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck the Kanto plain on the island of … As a kid in Japan, I lived through lots of little quakes. Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, although Tokyo has not been hit with a major quake since the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, which killed 140,000 people. earthquake. At 11:58 a.m., when people were preparing for lunch The event caused great damage to Tokyo and the Kanto region. A second quake hit in the same area about half an hour later with a magnitude of 5.3. The Great Kantō earthquake (関東大地震, Kantō dai-jishin) struck the Kantō Plain on the main Japanese island of Honshū at 11:58:44 JST (02:58:44 UTC) on Saturday, September 1, 1923.Varied accounts indicate the duration of the earthquake was between four and ten minutes. A huge number of houses and buildings fell apart, and some 25,000 people lost their lives. The Great Kanto Earthquake (magnitude 7.9) caused a massive fire that killed most of the victims in the Kanto area, including Tokyo, Yokohama, and Chiba (105,000 deaths and missing persons) , while the Great East-Japan Earthquake (magnitude 9.0) triggered a devastating tsunami in coastal areas of the Tohoku region (about 18,500 victims). 03/14/2011 05:42 pm ET Updated Dec 06, 2017 Unless you live in California, most Americans can't imagine what it's like to be in a minor earthquake, never mind a major one. The Great Kanto Earthquake occurred at 11:58 a.m. on Sept. 1, 1923. Great Kanto earthquake, 1923 Japan's worst ever earthquake was never actually its largest. One of the most devastating was the magnitude 7.9 Great Kanto earthquake that occurred on September 1, 1923. The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 shocked the nation. Its presumed magnitude was 7.9 and the maximum seismic intensity was 7, the highest level on the Japanese scale. The rain stopped falling before long and the wind direction changed to the south. The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami are still very sharp on everyone’s memories. 1 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake (1) Overview At about 10:00 a.m. on September 1st, 1923, there was a weak low-pressure system in the Kanto area and the area was experiencing strong wind and heavy rain. Thoughts on the Great Tohoku Kanto Earthquake and Tsunami from a Japanese American in Denver. The Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011 caused tremendous damage to people's lives and the natural environment over a vast area, from the Tohoku region (the northeastern district of Japan) to the Kanto region (the area around Tokyo). Japan sits on the junction of five tectonic plates and 80 active volcanoes! The magnitude of its destruction was almost beyond imagining. 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